Illinois Government
Lesson 5 - Voting in Illinois

To be able to vote in Illinois, an individual must be a U.S. citizen, who is at least 18 years old, and a resident of his/her district for 30 days. The individual must also register to vote with the local election district.

A person convicted of a felony or who is under a sentence in jail loses the right to vote; however, their right to vote is restored after they have served their sentence.

In Illinois, general elections are the biennial elections, where voters actually elect members of the General Assembly.

General primary elections are elections where party members elect candidates for their party for an upcoming general election. Illinois uses the closed primary system. In a closed primary, voters must declare their party affiliation and will receive one political party's ballot. The voter will then choose from candidates on their political party's ballot. General primaries are held on the first Tuesday in February in even-numbered years.